WASHINGTON — President Trump spoke heatedly in the presidential debate about wanting Russia’s war in Ukraine to be over — but twice refused to directly answer a question about whether he wanted American ally Ukraine to win.

Trump’s comments are likely to heighten concern among Ukraine and its supporters that his return to the White House could push Ukraine into a losing peace deal with its stronger neighbor, Russia.

Western-allied Ukraine depends on American military and financial aid to keep up its fight against Russian forces, and it would have grave difficulty withstanding their attacks if Washington were to pull that support.

It’s “a very simple question. Do you want Ukraine to win this war?” moderator David Muir of ABC News asked Trump, in the first of two times Trump was pressed for a direct answer.

“I want the war to stop,” Trump responded. “I want to save lives,” he added, claiming that “millions” were dying in the conflict.

Mr. Muir then asked again, questioning whether Trump believed “it’s in the U.S. best interest for Ukraine to win this war.”

The Republican nominee responded, “I think it’s the U.S. best interest to get this war finished and just get it done.”

Trump has said repeatedly he would have a peace deal done between Ukraine and Russia within a day if he is elected, although he does not say how.

The fear of Ukraine’s supporters is that the kind of deal Trump is talking about would amount to the country’s democratic government capitulating significant territory and sovereignty to Russia’s harsh demands.

President Putin earlier this year insisted Ukraine must give up vast amounts of territory and avoid joining NATO simply as a condition to start negotiations.

“The reason that Donald Trump says that this war would be over within 24 hours is because he would just give it up,” Vice President Harris said during the debate.

The Democratic nominee accused Trump of being in “what you think is a friendship with … a dictator who would eat you for lunch.”

Mr. Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said Wednesday that “the name Putin is used, let’s say, as one of the tools in the domestic political struggle of the United States.”

Mr. Peskov added: “We really, really don’t like this and we still hope they will leave our president alone,” suggesting that both Ms. Harris and Trump have a “negative” and “unfriendly” attitude toward Russia.

Associated Press